54 dead as tourist bus plunges into ravine in Brazil

Up to 54 people died as a result of an accident in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, in which a bus fell into a ravine from a height of 400 meters, local police said in a dramatic increase of the initial death toll.

The toll was raised from 32 killed and 11 injured after emergency
crews working at the scene discovered another 19 bodies.
The total number of
passengers was not immediately clear. The latest report says that
at least six survivors, including two children, are being treated
for injuries.

Police said the brakes of the bus appeared to have failed at a
turn in the road.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff expressed her sympathy for the
families and friends of the dead.

Traffic accidents have recently surged in the South American
nation, according to the data cited by AFP over the years 2002 to
2012, with about 43,000 Brazilians now killed in road accidents
annually.